Portable electronic devices are becoming smaller and lighter due to advancements in the high-tech electronic industry. As a result, portable electronic devices are increasingly being used. The increased need for batteries having high energy density for use as power sources for these portable electronic devices has led to recent research into lithium secondary batteries.
Lithium secondary batteries have average discharge potentials of about 4 V, and more particularly 3.7 V. These lithium secondary batteries are essential to the digital generation because they are indispensable energy sources for portable digital devices such as the “3C” devices, i.e. cellular telephones, notebook computers, and camcorders, as well as other portable electronic devices.
Research has also been conducted on batteries to develop effective safety characteristics such as the prevention of overcharge. When a battery is overcharged, excess lithium ions are deposited on the positive electrode, and excess lithium ions are inserted into the negative electrode, making the positive and negative electrodes thermally unstable. An explosion may occur due to the decomposition of the electrolytic organic solvent causing thermal runaway which can seriously decrease battery safety.
To overcome these problems, an aromatic compound, such as an oxidation-reduction agent, or “redox shuttle additive,” has been added to the electrolyte. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,968 to Shimizu discloses the use of a benzene compound, such as 2,4-difluoroanisole, in a non-aqueous lithium ion secondary battery to prevent thermal runaway resulting from overcharge current. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,834 to Mao discloses the use of electrochemically polymerized aromatic compounds, such as biphenyl, 3-chlorothiophene, furan, etc., to improve battery safety by increasing the internal resistance of the battery during unusual overvoltage conditions.
Redox shuttle additives quickly increase the temperature inside the battery by the heat produced by the oxidation-reduction reaction. In addition, the additive closes the pores of the separator by quickly and uniformly fusing the separator to inhibit overcharge reactions. The polymerization reaction of these redox shuttle additives consumes the overcharge current, thereby improving battery safety.
However, the need for high capacity batteries is increasing, and these redox shuttle additives cannot provide the high level of safety required of such high capacity batteries. Therefore, a need exists for an electrolyte capable of preventing overcharge and ensuring battery safety.